Sydney

The overnight bus to Sydney was a nightmare. About 20mins out, the bus broke down. After waiting for someone to come and try and fix it, which they couldn't, we were taken back to station to get another bus. In total, delayed by 3 hrs before we set out at all on the new bus. Trip took 20.5 hours in total, really tired after it, and didn't get much sleep at all.

Staying in King's Cross and it is as colourful as people say! Hostel we're in is away from the bars/clubs and everything else going on there though so we are able to sleep at nite! On christmas eve, did some xmas shopping, bought even more t-shirts, don't know how the rucksack is going to manage with all the clothes i've bought lately.
A lot colder in Sydney than it was in Brisbane, not getting good weather here last while, but meant to improve later in week.

Onto christmas day, first we went to mass in the cathedral near Hyde Park, all the Irish were out in force wearing their county jerseys, I even saw one from Leitrim! Cooked ourselves a steak dinner then in hostel afterwards(no turkey this year!) and went out to Bondi beach in afternoon for a while, was packed but, really cold there, not the weather for swimming. I say cold, but would have been warmer than jumping in at Garryvoe i'd say!
Didn't do much else for day. Most of the pubs are closed in city for day, so we're leaving the drink celebrations to tonite.

Today we went down to harbour hoping to see the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race, but no sign of the yachts at all! Hunderd's of people waiting all along the quay's around sides of Opera House, but race start took place further out Sydney harbour, we could only see the boats in distance(should have looked up website I think!) Did a tour of opera house this afternoon which was pretty good, though not much on while we're here that'd be worth seeing! Gotta goto Coles now and get something for the dinner.

Happy christmas+ enjoy the celebrations at home
Kevin

P.S. Congratulations to Donal + Elaine on their engagement!?!

Brisbane

and a few more beers is what we've had. stayed in yha in brisbane, done up recently so mice enough room and air conditioning! Brisbane just another city really, nice park, the botanical gardens, where we've spent most of the time during the day, have read two books since we got here down there. best part of week was going to the "wet n' wild" water-park, about 1hr from Brisbane, really really good, been ages since we'd been to one, there was one ride we didn't go on, called the skateboard, but did all the rest.

were thinking about going to the australia zoo, but gave it a skip, thought it mite be a bit too similar to signapore zoo and nite safari we went to there.
tonite we're getting an overnite bus direct to Sydney, about 17.5hrs, going to be some trip i'd say, hopefully we can get some sleep and they show a decent film on bus this time, last one was crap.

christmas not too far away now, strange to be away for it, planning to head to bondi beach for the day like everyone else i'd say. bye for now, kevin.

Hervey Bay, Fraser Island

Since last post did two-day tour to Fraser Island, pretty good tour for price and what we did there. driving along beach in 4WD was cool, reminded me of Paris-Dakar rally with all sand-dunes (or sand-blows as they're called here). went on a guided tour option, rather than venturing out ourselves, glad we did to be honest,as guide was very good and was funny seeing other 4WD drivers getting stuck in sand! even had a double-bed in a permanent camp-site, no swags this time.

didn't do much else, hervey bay is a strange place, like some sort of retirement village in places, shopping in woolworths is lethal there, careful that u don't get run down by a pensioner driving a trolley! hostel we were staying in was cool, was like staying in an apartment, 3 double-rooms sharing a big kitchen and tv area, with massive sofas as well.

In brisbane now, doesn't look like there's much to do around, ah feck it, its xmas next week, think we should start winding down and have a few more beers.

kevin

Cairns, Mission Beach, Townsville and now Airlie Beach

Arrived in Airlie Beach this afternoon on greyhound! Its about 4hrs south of Townsville, heading on a sailing trip around Whitsundays in morning (2days, 1nite, sleeping on the boat!), have stocked up on sun-cream but I think its inevitable that I'm gonna get burnt.

See that I haven't put up a post since Alice Springs, too busy or sleeping to do it really ;) Cairns was class, after staying in Alice springs it was like staying in a major capital city somewhere! hostel was cool and organised our snorkeling trip and a day-trip to Kuranda with them.

Snorkeling was good, was tempted to do an introductory dive as well but bottled it. We were out a bit further than green island so at outer edge of barrier reef, I thought the snorkeling in Thailand was good, but this was way better, got a bbq lunch and went to two different reef locations for those snorkeling/diving. Got sun-burnt,on back of my legs mainly, hard to avoid given that we were in/out of water all the time. Got a bit too close to barrier reef though and whacked my left knee off some coral, nicely bruised and cut for last few days.

Day after this took a day-trip to Kuranda high-up in rainforrest, disappointed with place really, nothing to it apart from endless tourist shops, don't believe everything in lonely planet. Trip there/back was best part though, on way up took a cable car up over top of rain-forrest, pretty cool seeing birds and stuff below us. On way back then, took a train going back down the valleys.

From Cairns, it was onto Mission Beach, well we got off there and were staying ~10km from it, in the rain-forest itself. Accommodation was these tiny little tree-huts dotted along forrest. Really at one with nature for a couple of days, would have been nice and relaxing apart from all the insects around. Worst were the flying beetles, which came out flying around about 7pm each nite, impossible to get off if they landed on ya, had to literally try and pick them off, not nice! Other insects were giant moths(talking > 6inches length here) and stick-insects, those buggers can move a bit too. On way back to hut each nite, family of frogs greeted us each nite. Bit of a show-down each nite, they froze when torch lite was shown on them, so walking by them u'd hope they wouldn't jump up on ya! So was a lovely adventure really, was a break from travelling for a while alrite like.

Then onto Townsville where we spent for 1 nite on sat. Pretty cool place and would have liked to have stayed longer if we weren't caught for time on way down to Sydney. Oh yeah, so much for cooking for ourselves, hostels in both Cairns and Townsville had deals with some pubs where u get a free dinner. The free dinner was real basic, but u cud "upgrade" it to something decent for $6 which was cool.

So yeah, thats it to date, sailing for next few days, have an overnite trip to Hervey Bay to look forward to after that, then a trip to Fraser Island, after that Brisbane for ~ 5 nites, and onto sydney. Impossible to find a stop-over between Brisbane and Sydney for days we want at moment, mite have to go direct, which will be some trip on the bus. So glad that we booked somewhere for Sydney though as its impossible to find somewhere everyone is saying. No worries, Kevin

Kakadu National Park, Ayres Rock (Uluru), Olgas and Kings Canyon

Being a busy bee last week or so taking in all above stuff! Kakadu trip was cool, involving crocodile spotting in billabongs, looking at aboriginal rock art, driving off-road in a 4WD for hunderd's of km's, hiking through park to waterfalls, and swimming in plunge-pools, spear throwing, learning about Aborignial culture. Weather was so hot and humid it was unreal, couldn't really get much sleep at nite as it was so warm inside the tent. Didn't want to sleep outside in swag, as too many insects and cane-frogs around for my liking! Worst part of trip were flies, there everywhere we went, except at nite-time, trying to have breakfast and lunch and flies going everywhere, wake first thing in morning, and u could hear them buzzing around the tent, should have invested in a fly-net! Group we were with though were sound out, met another irish couple on it who were dead on and are also heafing to Sydney for new years.

Got back from Ayre's Rock trip yesterday evening, but have to say best part of trip was the walk we did through King's Canyon! Early starts each day of trip, 4am, so as to start walks before sun got really hot. Has being in 40's last few days in Ayre's Rock, measuring 42C in the shade fri and sat. Saw the sun set and rise over ayre's rock and olgas(also more impressive than Ayre's rock!). Trip was exhausting due to early starts and long days and walks in heat. Were sleeping outside in swags both nites under stars (no tents this time), praying that the mozzies wouldn't get us! Never drank as much water in last few days. Finishing up in Alice Springs today and onto Cairns tonite. Some rest is called for me thinks, later, kevin.